By Kimberly Dozier - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 17, 2011 5:41:30 EDT
WASHINGTON — Those who planned the secret mission to get Osama bin Laden in Pakistan knew it was a one-shot deal, and it nearly went terribly wrong.

The U.S. deliberately hid the operation from Pakistan, and predicted that national outrage over the breach of Pakistani sovereignty would make it impossible to try again if the raid on bin Laden’s suspected redoubt came up dry.

Once the raiders reached their target, things started to go awry almost immediately, officials briefed on the operation said.

Adding exclusive new details to the account of the assault on bin Laden’s hideout, officials described just how the SEAL raiders loudly ditched a foundering helicopter right outside bin Laden’s door, ruining the plan for a surprise assault. That forced them to abandon plans to run a squeeze play on bin Laden — simultaneously entering the house stealthily from the roof and the ground floor.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>
Instead, they busted into the ground floor and began a floor-by-floor storming of the house, working up to the top level where they had assumed bin Laden — if he was in the house — would be.

They were right.

The raiders came face-to-face with bin Laden in a hallway outside his bedroom, and three of the Americans stormed in after him, U.S. officials briefed on the operation told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe a classified operation.</span>

U.S. officials believe Pakistani intelligence continues to support militants who attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and actively undermine U.S. intelligence operations to go after al-Qaida inside Pakistan. The level of distrust is such that keeping Pakistan in the dark was a major factor in planning the raid, and led to using the high-tech but sometimes unpredictable helicopter technology that nearly unhinged the mission.

Pakistan’s government has since condemned the action, and threatened to open fire if U.S. forces enter again.

On Monday, the two partners attempted to patch up relations, agreeing to pursue high-value targets jointly.

<span style='font-size: 20pt'>The decision to launch on that particular moonless night in May came largely because too many American officials had been briefed on the plan. U.S. officials feared if it leaked to the press, bin Laden would disappear for another decade.</span>

Discuss:

<span style='font-size: 20pt'>The one-shot deal</span>

U.S. special operations forces have made approximately four forays into Pakistani territory since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, though this one, some 90 miles inside Pakistan, was unlike any other, the officials say.

The job was given to a SEAL Team 6 unit, just back from Afghanistan, one official said. <span style='font-size: 20pt'>This elite branch of SEALs had been hunting bin Laden in eastern Afghanistan since 2001.</span>

Five aircraft flew from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, with three school-bus-size Chinook helicopters landing in a deserted area roughly two-thirds of the way to bin Laden’s compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, two of the officials explained.

Aboard two Black Hawk helicopters were 23 SEALs, an interpreter and a tracking dog named Cairo. Nineteen SEALs would enter the compound, and three of them would find bin Laden, one official said, providing the exact numbers for the first time.

<span style='font-size: 20pt'>Aboard the Chinooks were two dozen more SEALs, as backup.</span>

The Black Hawks were specially engineered to muffle the tail rotor and engine sound, two officials said. The added weight of the stealth technology meant cargo was calculated to the ounce, with weather factored in. The night of the mission, it was hotter than expected.

The Black Hawks were to drop the SEALs and depart in less than two minutes, in hopes locals would assume they were Pakistani aircraft visiting the nearby military academy.

One Black Hawk was to hover above the compound, with SEALs sliding down ropes into the open courtyard.

The second was to hover above the roof to drop SEALs there, then land more SEALs outside — plus an interpreter and the dog, who would track anyone who tried to escape and to alert SEALs to any approaching Pakistani security forces.

If troops appeared, the plan was to hunker down in the compound, avoiding armed confrontation with the Pakistanis while officials in Washington negotiated their passage out.

The two SEAL teams inside would work toward each other, in a simultaneous attack from above and below, their weapons silenced, guaranteeing surprise, one of the officials said. They would have stormed the building in a matter of minutes, as they’d done time and again in two training models of the compound.

The plan unraveled as the first helicopter tried to hover over the compound. The Black Hawk skittered around uncontrollably in the heat-thinned air, forcing the pilot to land. As he did, the tail and rotor got caught on one of the compound’s 12-foot walls. The pilot quickly buried the aircraft’s nose in the dirt to keep it from tipping over, and the SEALs clambered out into an outer courtyard.

The other aircraft did not even attempt hovering, landing its SEALs outside the compound.

<span style='font-size: 20pt'>Now, the raiders were outside, and they’d lost the element of surprise.</span>

They had trained for this, and started blowing their way in with explosives, through walls and doors, working their way up the three-level house from the bottom.

<span style='font-size: 20pt'>They had to blow their way through barriers at each stair landing, firing back, as one of the men in the house fired at them.

They shot three men as well as one woman, whom U.S. officials have said lunged at the SEALs.</span>

<span style='font-size: 20pt'>Small knots of children were on every level, including the balcony of bin Laden’s room.</span><span style='font-size: 26pt'>As three of the SEALs reached the top of the steps on the third floor, they saw bin Laden standing at the end of the hall. The Americans recognized him instantly, the officials said.

Bin Laden also saw them, dimly outlined in the dark house, and ducked into his room.

The three SEALs assumed he was going for a weapon, and one by one they rushed after him through the door, one official described.

Two women were in front of bin Laden, yelling and trying to protect him, two officials said. The first SEAL grabbed the two women and shoved them away, fearing they might be wearing suicide bomb vests, they said.

The SEAL behind him opened fire at bin Laden, putting one bullet in his chest, and one in his head.</span><span style='font-size: 26pt'>It was over in a matter of seconds.

Back at the White House Situation Room, word was relayed that bin Laden had been found, signaled by the code word “Geronimo.” That was not bin Laden’s code name, but rather a representation of the letter “G.” Each step of the mission was labeled alphabetically, and “Geronimo” meant that the raiders had reached step “G,” the killing or capture of bin Laden, two officials said.</span>As the SEALs began photographing the body for identification, the raiders found an AK-47 rifle and a Russian-made Makarov pistol on a shelf by the door they’d just run through. Bin Laden hadn’t touched them.

They were among a handful of weapons that were removed to be inventoried.

It took approximately 15 minutes to reach bin Laden, one official said. The next 23 or so were spent blowing up the broken chopper, after rounding up nine women and 18 children to get them out of range of the blast.

One of the waiting Chinooks flew in to pick up bin Laden’s body, the raiders from the broken aircraft and the weapons, documents and other materials seized at the site.

The helicopters flew back to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, and the body was flown to a waiting Navy ship for bin Laden’s burial at sea, ensuring no shrine would spring up around his grave.

When the SEAL team met President Obama, he did not ask who shot bin Laden. He simply thanked each member of the team, two officials said.<span style='font-size: 20pt'>Two women were in front of bin Laden, yelling and trying to protect him, two officials said. The first SEAL grabbed the two women and shoved them away, fearing they might be wearing suicide bomb vests, they said.

The SEAL behind him opened fire at bin Laden, putting one bullet in his chest, and one in his head.

It was over in a matter of seconds.

Back at the White House Situation Room, word was relayed that bin Laden had been found, signaled by the code word <span style='font-size: 26pt'>“Geronimo.” That was not bin Laden’s code name, but rather a representation of the letter “G.” </span>Each step of the mission was labeled alphabetically, and “Geronimo” meant that the raiders had reached step “G,” <span style='font-size: 26pt'>the killing or capture </span>of bin Laden, two officials said.

As the SEALs began photographing the body for identification, <span style='font-size: 26pt'>the raiders found an AK-47 rifle and a Russian-made Makarov pistol on a shelf by the door they’d just run through. </span>Bin Laden hadn’t touched them.

They were among a handful of weapons that were removed to be inventoried.

It took approximately 15 minutes to reach bin Laden, one official said. The next 23 or so were spent blowing up the broken chopper, after rounding up nine women and 18 children to get them out of range of the blast.

One of the waiting Chinooks flew in to pick up bin Laden’s body, the raiders from the broken aircraft and the weapons, documents and other materials seized at the site.

The helicopters flew back to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, and the body was flown to a waiting Navy ship for bin Laden’s burial at sea, ensuring no shrine would spring up around his grave.</span>

In a few weeks, the team that killed bin Laden will go back to training, and in a couple months, back to work overseas.

And, as I had written earlier, names are used according to the MOST easily detectable SOUND of certain words, much like the marine alphabet, and the fact is, Geronimo, was NOT the name for bin Laden, at all, but used in just that way, for the letter "G"

<span style='font-size: 26pt'>AND, it WAS a kill or capture mission, AND bin Laden, was hiding behind two women, who could have been hiding bombs, or weapons, AND there were weapons at hand.

And to top it all off....no information leading to this operation, came from THE BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS ILLEGAL USE OF TORTURE!</span>AGAIN, EVERY SINGLE ATTACK AGAINST THIS PRESIDENT, THIS MISSION, WRITTEN ON THIS SITE, AND TOUTED ON FUX NOISE, AND BY CERTAIN REPIGLICANS LIKE PETER KING, WERE ALL TOTALLY WRONG!

DOES ANYONE THINK ANY OF THEM WILL CORRECT THEIR FALSE ACCUSATIONS, ANND CRITICISMS OF OUR PRESIDENT, AND OF OUR MISSION?

OR EVEN ATTEMPT TO APOLOGIZE, FOR SPREADING FALSE RUMORS, AND JUMPING TO FALSE CONCLUSIONS?

LET'S NOT HOLD OUR BREATH ON THAT ONE!

SAME OL' SAME OL'.....ALL OF IT REPIGLICAN BS, SLURP, SLURP, SLURP!</span> </span>

pooltchr

05-17-2011, 10:44 PM

Sounds like a lot of spinning going on there. If a military operation were using letters to specify the various steps, then the 7th step would be Golf, following Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot.

And, as I have already posted repeatedly, the SEALs knew their mission was to KILL, not capture OBL.

Once again, they keep changing the story after the fact, to paint it in the best political light.

And you eagerly lap it up, and ask for more.

Steve

LWW

05-18-2011, 04:15 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gayle in MD</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <span style="color: #660000"> <span style='font-size: 20pt'>The decision to launch on that particular moonless night in May came largely because too many American officials had been briefed on the plan. U.S. officials feared if it leaked to the press, bin Laden would disappear for another decade.</span></span></div></div>

And that is the operative phrase, which went right over her head ... even though she highlighted it.

- The regime knew that Osama was there, and knew it for months ... doing nothing.

- As opposed to Charlotte's earlier claim that HE and ONLY HE put the plan together under the highest secrecy, a large number of people knew that Obama knew where Bin Laden was, and that he had done nothing.

- Assange/Wikileaks had let the cat out of the bag that the US knew of a very high level AQ target being holed up in Abbotabad.

- As soon as Osama knew this, he would surely vanish.

- The risk that someone would then release that the regime had Osama pinned down and did nothing was too much of a political risk to take.

- The plan was thrown together hurriedly.

- Obama's hand was forced not only by the political risk of doing nothing, but also by an internal palace revolt.

- The story has changed countless times to cover the truth.

- The O-cult believes each new version of "TRUTH" without question.

Wait till the books start coming out.

Gayle in MD

05-18-2011, 06:50 AM

Here come the trolls. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif They refuse to stop their cyber-stalking.

I hope my friends will just scroll on by, as we already know, they are just going to LIE! LIE! LIE!

As this story, comes from site of The Navy Times, and states quite clearly, this was a kill/capture mission, let's ignore the lies of the Trolls.

While the world is celebrating, lets ignore the haters and liars, Repiglican ignoramus's!

pooltchr

05-18-2011, 07:30 AM

We are simply trying to help you, Galye. You only want to see one side of the story, the side that the administration wants you to see. There are facts in evidence that are being held back from you. We are just trying to protect you from ignorance.

You shouldn't bite the hands that try to feed you the truth.

Steve

Gayle in MD

05-18-2011, 07:38 AM

Ignoramus's are the TROLLS who never give up!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/g...7z5G_story.html

pooltchr

05-18-2011, 08:24 AM

That's fine. You just keep your head buried in the sand, and believe that all is well with the world.

As they say, ignorance is bliss. You must be one of the happiest people on earth!!!

Steve

Perky

05-18-2011, 09:09 AM

Again...and Again... and Again... isn't absolutely typical of the ungrateful, cowardly and low level of ass-backward thinking that these Weenies apply to anything that might recognize even in a peripheral sense, some credit for the Obama administration.

That These Weenies would stoop so low as to effectively call the Seals who put their lives on the line to complete this dangerous mission... lairs ...is beyond the pale. Disgusting and irrefutably shameful, that they put forth opinions that clearly suggest that they would have preferred for the mission to have failed, despite all that would have meant to those involved in the mission... just so they might have the opportunity to gloat over an embarrassed President Obama.

I can an already hear the Weenies attempting to deny this... but by any rational logic... it is impossible for them to have it both ways. Either they fully support... and like the vast majority of Americans take pride and give full credit to all who were integral in the success of this mission or... or as the self-serving Wheenies they are... they choose to denigrate these heroes.

pooltchr

05-18-2011, 09:56 AM

You're trolling again.

Steve

Perky

05-18-2011, 10:26 AM

Just want to thank you for again giving me reason to move this image once more to the top of the list /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
It would seem there are distinct disadvantages to being a sub-weenie

Don't believe anyone will have any difficulty recognizing Steve in this picture. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Apparently... you're "NOT" clever enough to figure out how you can stop doing this /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

Gayle in MD

05-18-2011, 11:28 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Perky</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Again...and Again... and Again... isn't absolutely typical of the ungrateful, cowardly and low level of ass-backward thinking that these Weenies apply to anything that might recognize even in a peripheral sense, some credit for the Obama administration.

That These Weenies would stoop so low as to effectively call the Seals who put their lives on the line to complete this dangerous mission... lairs ...is beyond the pale. Disgusting and irrefutably shameful, that they put forth opinions that clearly suggest that they would have preferred for the mission to have failed, despite all that would have meant to those involved in the mission... just so they might have the opportunity to gloat over an embarrassed President Obama.

I can an already hear the Weenies attempting to deny this... but by any rational logic... it is impossible for them to have it both ways. Either they fully support... and like the vast majority of Americans take pride and give full credit to all who were integral in the success of this mission or... or as the self-serving Wheenies they are... they choose to denigrate these heroes. </div></div>

Key Words: 1.Rational Logic. They have none.

2. Honor, they have none of that, either.

3. Truth? Due to no knowledge of or appreciation for, 1. and 2., 3., is impossible.

Hence, all that is left is their non stop trolling, attacks, insults, threats, slander, lies and more ignoramus RW Bubba-speak.

As The Newt Said, they only vote for more RW social engineering.......regardless of the facts, which are Bubbaproof, hence, they continue to vote against their own best interests, and that of their children, as they deny, that George Bush, put this country into such a deep debt hole, and left it in such unprecedented shambles, Democratics, had to set about doing exactly what I stated they would have to do, by the time we got rid of Bush, set about trying to undo all of the damage of the Bush legacy.

But back to the subject, which they'd prefer to divert....there isn't a single person on the right, who isn't either too ugly to have to look at for four years, or too obviously corrupt, or emotionally and psychologically unbalanced, to garner the votes of Independents, IMO.

Women, Won't vote for Daniels, because his wife, deserted their children, to go with her lover.

Newt? History, already! He'll never turn around the mess he made for himself with Republicans, by correctly describing their entire on going scam against Americans, so succinctly.

Ron Paul? NEVER! He's made too many stupid statements, that smack of anti-Americanism, which can be quoted, over and over, plus, he looks like the kind of nutjob, who would produce a nutjob that looks like Rand Paul, LMAO, the blatant racist of the flyovers, right up there with Barbour!!!

Bachmann, LMAO! Nuff said. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif She could ONLY serve as a spoiler, for the benefit of the dems, at best. She'd end up being the Nader of the Bush/Gore Campaign, with or without all the underhanded "Purging" by ficilitators like Katherine Harris. She can do it all by herself, because she's just nutty enough, to bring the "Party" together, BWA HA HA HA....

Palin, Ditto!! She's already trashed one campaign, and Republicans would probably commit their usual campaign fraud, they used against the Dems in Ohio, and jam up both Palin and Bachmann's phone lines. Rove, would be drumming up slander on both of them, and having his toy boy, do the dirty work for good of the party, and maybe, this time, he'll dress up like, who knows, a Mexican Pimp???? A construction worker? A
"Policeman" GW Bush could help him decide, LOL... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
at least, he can teach him the chicken hawk....

Repiglican theme song.... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif while they pickn out his next costume....

Romney, flip fliper, too many contradictory statements, on clips, which can be played over and over, showing him up for The Suit, that he is, and always has been, he's got the Pants On Fire top ratings, on factchek.org. plus, he's a Morman....known for their business corruption, racism, and pedophilia, but, wow, they might just love that, since it fits so many of their other elected Repigs. Who knows???

If he can pull off a couple rapes, between now and the voting, Repubs might just vote for him....by a land slide, Not to mention, what he did to his dog!!!! PETA will crucify him for that, and you know how repubs hate animals. Remember the one who cut up his pet cats, whatshisface?

Romney, might just be their hero, if he can pull off enough lies, and incredible denials, they do love that!

Jon Huntsman, with all of his glowing reports on President Obama's Administration, and great leadership skills, and intellect, he might not get by that, given how the Repubs, turn against any people who give the facts, as proven just this last week as they turned on The Newt, for exposing their policies.

Trump was trumped, gone for good. Thank goodness for that much! But, we knew, it was just another of his fake ploys, for attention and MORE money!!!! He was..."Your Fired!" and I wouldn't be a bit surprised is his show doesn't get canceled, anyway, so it was all for naught, as so many Repiglican scams, end up being.

I'll really be surprised, if Palin, ends up running. I think she'll just stay around in the forefront, spreading lies, for Fux, like Huckabee, and lie the true, money hungry, opportunist she's always been. But, she won't back out until the last minute....gotta gather up all the attention she can, before vanishing behind her safe little tweeter account.

Pawlenty, looks just like what his is, a whimp, who bashes homosexuals, while, as many say, he's been hiding in the closet, for years, where he bumps into Craig, Graham, McConnell, and the list goes on, and on, and on, along with a slew of their "Aides" regularly....

IOW, another Lindsy Graham, and anyway, I don't think most people could stand to look at Pawlenty, or at Kucinich, for that matter, for four years....fair or not, neither Pawlenty, nor Kucinich, is marketable.

There is only one person, that I think could beat Barack Obama, anyway, and she's not going to run against him.....she's going to retire from official public service, to devote herself to doing in her personal life, what most all former high Office holders, among Democratics, usually do, including her husband,..... She'll become a private citizen, loved all over the world, for her untiring work and devotion to helping the poor, the downtrodden, the ill, the oppressed, yes, just like Bill, Like Carter, Like many of the Kennedy's, she'll remain devoted to working for peace and human rights, for the least among us, for rest of her life.

G.

LWW

05-18-2011, 04:28 PM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pooltchr</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds like a lot of spinning going on there. If a military operation were using letters to specify the various steps, then the 7th step would be Golf, following Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot.

Steve </div></div>

The regime has changed that, the new system is:

- Algre

- Barack

- Clinton

- Democrook

- Edwards

- Farrakhan

- Geronimo

and so forth.

pooltchr

05-18-2011, 05:54 PM

Alright, little dog....get your nose out of my butt!
Thank you.

Steve

pooltchr

05-18-2011, 05:58 PM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gayle in MD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...there isn't a single person on the right, who isn't either too ugly to have to look at

G.

</div></div>

Very funny, coming from the party who forced us to look at Nancy Pelosi for so long!

Steve

LWW

05-19-2011, 02:58 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pooltchr</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There are facts in evidence that are being held back from you.

Steve </div></div>

The sad part is that she is the one holding them back from her.

pooltchr

05-19-2011, 06:20 AM

If you always eat at McDonalds, you will never know the taste of Ruths Chris!